In October 2015, I had the privilege to visit Walt Disney World with my family. We were only there for a few days, so we only visited the Magic Kingdom Park, EpcotandDisney’s Animal Kingdom. Last year, I wrote about accessible attractions, and I would like to update some of the information on the attractions that I was able to ride on this trip.

Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom – Part 3 of 3

The Magic Kingdom is a hub and spoke theme park with Cinderella’s Castle located in the center. Everyone enters the park and must walk down Main Street USA which is based on Marceline, Missouri, a small town where Walt Disney lived as a child. There are four “lands” that surround the castle; Tomorrowland, Fantasyland, Frontierland, and Adventureland.

In this post I would like to share my personal experience in riding attractions at the Magic Kingdom: Pirates of the Caribbean, Mad Tea Party, and Seven Dwarf’s Mine Train

Pirates of the Caribbean

Pirates of the Caribbean is located in Adventureland at the Magic Kingdom and is a slow, dark ride in a boat with a few drops during the ride. There is not an accessible boat like on “it’s a small world, which would allow a direct roll-on in a wheelchair. If you are in a wheelchair or on a scooter or ECV (electric controlled vehicle), you will need to be able to transfer directly into the boat vehicle for this attraction. After going through the regular queue or FastPass+ line the wheelchair party is directed to a handicap holding area as the Cast Members usually allow only one party that needs transferring per boat to expedite the loading and unloading process. Since I cannot walk at all, my Dad picks me up out of my wheelchair and carries me onto the boat. It can be very tricky as it is not a direct walk on, he has to step over the side of the boat, onto the seat and then down onto the floor before placing me in the seat. Once the adventure with all of the pirates is over, I have to be unloaded by being picked up, a step up onto the seat and then out again over the boat’s side. The boats are stable during this process, so there is no fear of the boat rocking or tipping. I have a feeling that I may not be going on this attraction too many more times as it is hard for non-ambulatory adult guests to get on and off the ride.

Mad Tea Party

The Mad Tea Party is a classic Magic Kingdom attraction based on the Mad Hatter’s tea party from Alice in Wonderland and it is located in Fantasyland. This is also an attraction that requires all guests to transfer from their wheelchair or ECV directly into the teacups. To access this ride, there is a handicap entrance located near the ride’s control booth. A Cast Member will come over and ask if you can transfer and what kind of device you may need for transferring. There are 18 teacups that rotate and spin during the ride. There is one teacup that is accessible, with a section of the teacup side that opens wider for easy access. If you can transfer by yourself they do have a slide board, which is very sturdy. In my case, my Dad picks me up from my chair and carries me over to the teacup and places me inside on the seat. The CM will take your wheelchair over to the side to keep it safe during your ride. Once the attraction starts, you can make your teacup spin in either direction by using the wheel in the center that lets you control the direction and speed of your spin. After the ride has come to a complete stop, the CM will unlock the wider door to allow you to transfer back into your wheelchair of ECV. During our trip, we had an unexpected delay in one of our rides on Mad Tea Party. I wrote about this in a group blog post entitled “Which piece of Walt Disney World would you like to take home?”

“I wish I could have all of the master keys to my favorite Walt Disney World attractions. Let me take you back to Saturday, October 3, 2015. As you may remember from my posts, I need to be transferred from my wheelchair to get into the Mad Tea Party teacups. This requires opening a special door on one of the tea cups. After I was all loaded in and ready to spin, the Cast Member accidently broke the key off in the little door! Apparently, it is the same key that operates the Mad Tea Party control board for the attraction. Fortunately, my Dad was able to pull out the little broken stem of the key so that a new key could be inserted. The Fantasyland team manager was called who came over quickly, and then, she called maintenance. It seems that only one person had access to the master keys, and he was on break! So, my Dad unloaded me from the teacup and we were given a FastPass for another attraction since this process had taken so long. We returned to the Mad Tea Party about two hours later and the same CM told us they had just started the attraction back up a short while ago. He showed us the new key, which he said felt much stiffer than the one that had broken off earlier. We were all vying for the coveted broken key, but the team manager kept it. I felt bad for all of the people who were standing in line for so long and were told they would have to come back later. My family did enjoy spinning in the Mad Tea Party that day several times in a row!”

Seven Dwarf’s Mine Train

Seven Dwarf’s Mine Train is a new rollercoaster attraction located in the New Fantasyland which opened in 2014. Again, for this attraction, you must transfer from your wheelchair or ECV to enjoy this fun-filled ride. There are signs that will direct you as to where to enter this attraction in a wheelchair or ECV. We had a FastPass+, so that is the entrance we used. Once through the queue, there is a handicap waiting area near where you enter the coaster. The roller coaster cars look like large split logs pulled by a mining train. The last cart on the train has a small door which opens up to allow for more room to enter into the cart seat. My Dad had to carry me over to the cart and place me into the seat. A lap restraint will secure you into the cart, so there is no need to worry about falling out. The train will wind you up and over a small mountain, into the Dwarf’s jewel mine and eventually back to a scene of their cottage. The Disney patented carts have the ability to rock from side to side while you are riding through the mine and in other places. Once the train comes to a complete stop the CM will open the small side door where you can exit the cart and get back into your wheelchair. I really enjoy this new roller coaster. During a 2012 cruise on the Disney Cruise Line’s Fantasy we met Imagineer Chris Beatty who gave a presentation on the New Fantasyland and the Seven Dwarf’s Mine Train. Afterwards, I could not wait for the attraction to open, so I could experience this new technology for myself. Here is an interesting bit of information on the carts used in this attraction: “The innovative, patented ride system for the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train is an original design developed at Walt Disney Imagineering. It features five-car trains designed to swing independently from side to side as they move along the track. This newly patented design provides a one-of-a-kind ride experience.” From Walt Disney World News article – see more Fun Facts on this attraction.

I hope you enjoyed my experience on these final three accessible attractions at the Magic Kingdom. Please follow my posts on the Blog for more updates on accessibility at Disney Parks and Disney Cruise Line in years to come.

]]>http://www.wdwradio.com/2016/08/eliminate-your-fears-and-doubts-about-three-more-accessible-attractions-at-walt-disney-worlds-magic-kingdom-part-3-of-3/feed/247555How the Inaugural D23 Expo Changed Theme Park Mediahttp://www.wdwradio.com/2016/02/inaugural-d23-expo-changed-theme-park-media/
http://www.wdwradio.com/2016/02/inaugural-d23-expo-changed-theme-park-media/#respondWed, 10 Feb 2016 14:00:58 +0000http://www.wdwradio.com/?p=44842For the first two weeks of February 2016, the WDW Radio Blog Team will be […]

For the first two weeks of February 2016, the WDW Radio Blog Team will be reviewing great moments in Disney History. These moments have impacted the history of the company through film, parks, innovation, events and more.

Technology is in a constant state of change. We continually find new ways to exchange information. Much like Walt’s initial struggle with Tomorrowland, the mass media can barely keep up with itself before what’s current is replaced by what’s next. This has been at hand since the advent of movable type, and continues today in a height of social media. The various apps, websites, and devices that have become so popular within the last eight years or so have redefined how guests experience the Disney theme parks. Back home, they’ve helped shape how fans communicate with one another and receive the latest news and updates, with one particular entity spearheading the charge. While Twitter has been around since 2006, it was not until a specific event in 2009 that this app’s true ingenuity proved itself to forever change the relationship between Disney, the media, and the general public.

September 2009 was an exciting time to be a Disney fan. Earlier that year, Up had soared into theaters. Hannah Montana was in its peak on the airwaves. Anticipation was building for a new hand-drawn musical, The Princess and the Frog, which would release that Christmas. In the thick of it all was the first-ever official Disney fan club, D23, hosting its inaugural Expo in Anaheim, California. A new event from a new department, no one quite knew what to expect from the D23 Expo, but its happenings set a new precedent for fan communication and the way Disney would announce its new projects.

On day three of the four-day weekend (which has since been trimmed down to three), Walt Disney Parks and Resorts took to the stage for its presentation. The bar had been raised from previous days’ presentations about Disney Legends, animation, and live-action films, which had included exclusive footage, first-look news, and surprise appearances by Johnny Depp, Miley Cyrus, the Muppets, and an onslaught of other A-List celebrities. By this point, I had noticed that many of the major news outlets I followed were updating their Twitter feeds quite frequently as they reported live from the event. So, when the time came for the Parks and Resorts presentation, I was ready: logged into Twitter and patiently awaiting any updates that my following accounts might graciously provide.

What I experienced was unexpected and euphoric, and my first authentic exposure to the phenomenon of social media.

Yep, those news accounts and fan sites were updating their feeds, all right… nearly every minute, providing near-real-time updates, with descriptions and photos of what was happening at that exact moment in time. There was practically no delay of hearing anything. It was the closest I could ever get to being there without leaving my home. The most thrilling part of the event was confirmation of a huge rumor that had been swirling around Disney fan sites all summer. Jay Rasulo, who at the time was Chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, took the stage.

“Before we go any further, I need to clarify something that’s kind of been on my mind. There have been a lot of rumors online, and I don’t know where they come from, and I don’t even know where they get started, but it’s about a big expansion of Fantasyland at Walt Disney World. Well, these rumors are absolutely—true.”

Woah! I couldn’t click refresh fast enough as flurries of reactions, concept art, and more details filled my Twitter stream. I sat, mouth agape, as I read how Fantasyland would double, welcoming new attractions and experiences surrounding some of Disney’s most classic animated stories. (As it turns out, much of what Rasulo announced that day would be revised during the project’s construction. Character encounters with Cinderella and Aurora, as well as a Pixie Hollow-themed area, were all never opened in favor of Seven Dwarfs Mine Train and a larger Storybook Circus. The revision announcement in 2011 would, again, usher a lively Twitter session.) To me, it was nothing short of remarkable that I could get real-time updates so fast. Before this, it would at least be a few hours before any of that news would have been relayed. Reporters would sit through the entire presentation, scurry to a convenient writing spot, and construct a full article, which would be accessed by us, the readers, whenever we happened to log in to that news page. It wouldn’t be immediately sent to a mobile device that alerts us within seconds.

The social media reaction to the 2009 D23 Expo opened the floodgates for an entirely new way of communicating. It was the first big time that I can recall interacting with other fans on Twitter and carrying on conversations about the new announcements. It changed the landscape for how Disney made announcements and how the public could collectively respond to those announcements. Slowly but surely over the years, this evolved into the Twitter conversations readily available today from countless amounts of fans. Each time a new project is revealed, the public’s reaction can immediately be gauged by scrolling through Twitter. There is no wondering what people think about it. From then on out, a new layer of excitement surrounded anytime Disney held press events or conferences. I knew I wouldn’t have to wait to hear about everything in the aftermath; I could engage with the content right away, along with many other people. And while the D23 Expo doesn’t always include as significant an announcement as New Fantasyland, more often than not, the Expo is breeding ground for pretty thrilling news.

In just six and a half short years since that first D23 Expo, technology has already progressed so much more. While Twitter is still a relevant social media outlet, particularly from the standpoint of a news resource, we thirst for information even quicker than the short time it takes to compose a tweet. We want it instantly. And as it turns out, refreshing a Twitter feed in 2009 wasn’t as close to being there as I could be, despite what it seemed. If you had told me in 2009 that I would view the 2015 D23 presentations on a live video stream, I would have been amazed. (Let’s face it, even in 2015, I was amazed.)

Who knows what awaits us for the future, but the 2009 D23 Expo was a game-changer in the history of Walt Disney World for the way it carried the Disney fandom into the true heart of new media.

]]>http://www.wdwradio.com/2016/02/inaugural-d23-expo-changed-theme-park-media/feed/044842Fantasyland’s Secret Weapon (It’s Not Dwarfs in a Mine Train)http://www.wdwradio.com/2015/10/fantasylands-secret-weapon-not-dwarfs-mine-train/
http://www.wdwradio.com/2015/10/fantasylands-secret-weapon-not-dwarfs-mine-train/#commentsWed, 07 Oct 2015 13:00:41 +0000http://www.wdwradio.com/?p=43304In the world of modern theme parks, the more immersive, the better. Guests want to […]

Guests want to be fully engrossed in fictional realms of their favorite stories. Imagineer Tony Baxter said (on WDW Radio, in fact) that immersing the guest is nothing new and that it’s been the focal point of Disney attractions since Jungle Cruise first immersed guests into the African jungle back in 1955. That’s true, but the technique for that immersion is now decidedly different. It is not enough to be a passive bystander and watch the action of an attraction take place in front of you. There is now an intrinsic desire to step into that action as it materializes all around you—and not just watch it happen, but be part of it, maybe even playing a role in it and influencing what happens within the story.

It is not the standard anymore for a new attraction to debut all by itself, no strings attached. There won’t be a time in the foreseeable future when that will happen again. First pioneered by The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal, attractions now open in bundles, threaded together by a large amount of physical land that extends the attraction’s story beyond a show building and into the atmosphere, usually in the form of an expansion. That’s the trend on the rise. Thinking ahead to the future lineup of Walt Disney World, it’s clear that this is the dominant plan. Toy Story Land, the Star Wars expansion, Pandora: The World of AVATAR… they’re all massive undertakings that are more than just one individual attraction. Even Frozen Ever After won’t just open as an individual ride, but will have an accompanying character greeting building and re-imagined Norwegian atmosphere.

Imagineering’s first foray into this method of storytelling came with two projects built simultaneously on both coasts: Cars Land for California and New Fantasyland for Florida, both of which opened in 2012, the former all at once and the latter in phases leading to a 2014 completion. New Fantasyland doubled the size of the existing Fantasyland with major attractions surrounding animated classics of both legendary and contemporary eras. For the most part, the dust has settled surrounding the project’s newness—that’s not to say its attractions don’t generate crowds (they most certainly do), but the expansion is no longer headline news. We’re used to it. It’s been broken in.

That does not, however, mean that it is not worth taking a closer look at. In fact, in assessing the handful of experiences that work in tandem to create New Fantasyland, I’d wager that the one that exemplifies this immersive trend more than any other isn’t what you might think. Ariel has plenty of special effects that plop us in the middle of her story, but that’s not quite it. Those seven dwarfs make for a quick, fantastic attraction, but that’s not what I’m thinking of, either. No, my money (and priority) is on the little town, the quiet village, where every day is like the one before and a certain princess has a hankering for telling her story: Enchanted Tales with Belle.

Enchanted Tales with Belle is the archetypal Disney attraction, and yet it is so unique from anything before it. It is completely and wholeheartedly a product of its time, and yet embodies the emotions associated with a Disney vacation that have remained ageless for generations. It is essentially a souped-up photo-op, and yet as we experience it, we never once think of it that way because of the effectiveness of its story, which has a history of its own.

The attraction has its origins in Storytime with Belle, a long-running, small-scale show in Fairytale Garden, the space now occupied by Merida’s character greeting. Belle enlisted the audience’s help in telling the story of Beauty and the Beast, complete with guests in different roles using costumes and props. In what amounts to the most elaborate re-imagining of any individual attraction in Disney theme park history, Storytime with Belle became Enchanted Tales with Belle, swapping out Fairytale Garden for nothing short of the Beast’s castle.

Now a full-fledged, multi-part attraction, Enchanted Tales with Belle begins in Belle’s cottage, bringing the same magic that Mickey and Minnie’s homes brought to Mickey’s Toontown Fair. There is something intrinsically special about observing where the characters live that adds believability to their existence, and that quality sets the stage nicely as guests wait in the Belle queue. Through an extremely cool moment that I won’t spoil here, we wind up transported inside the Beast’s castle, where remarkable Audio-Animatronics versions of Madame Wardrobe and Lumiere, and of course Belle herself, in person, assist us in telling the Beauty and the Beast story.

If you pay close attention, you’ll notice that our little adventure is actually much more than a way to spend 15 minutes. There’s a reason Belle’s all dolled up in her ball gown: We’ve gone back in time to the very middle of Beauty and the Beast, just before Belle and Beast have their famous dance. It turns out Belle is a little nervous and could use some moral support. So, the next time you watch the film and you reach that scene, you can know you had a personal hand in making it happen. (I guess she was so caught up in the moment that she disregarded it was the first human contact she had had since being trapped in the castle all that time.)

The attraction is the sole remnant of a proposed trio of similar venues that would give guests personal encounters with Disney princesses. In addition to Enchanted Tales with Belle, originally New Fantasyland was also slated to include Dreams Come True with Cinderella and A Birthday Surprise for Sleeping Beauty, both employing the same format of visiting each princess in her home (or, in Cinderella’s case, her stepfamily’s chateau) and partaking in some sort of activity with each character. Upon reviewing developing projects, then-new Disney Parks Chairman Tom Staggs felt that the New Fantasyland expansion had plenty appeal for girls, but none for boys (and also probably saw the obvious cloned feel of all three princess experiences). It was at his suggestion that Cinderella and Aurora’s houses got the boot in favor of Seven Dwarfs Mine Train. (In the accompanying concept art, note the Tremaine home and Briar Rose’s cottage where the dwarfs currently hold residence.) Surely if three attractions all juxtaposed next to each other were so identical, none of them would hold much value individually, so it is with its exclusive nature that Enchanted Tales with Belle shines.

The likability of Enchanted Tales with Belle comes in its simplicity. If you’re expecting an E-Ticket, this isn’t the place to go, but in terms of character Meet & Greets, you won’t find a more elaborate one anywhere on Disney property. If you’re expecting the usual picture-and-autograph fare… well, talk about exceeding expectations. The enjoyment will come here for appreciating the experience for what it is: a really good character encounter.

Certainly the technology at use gives the attraction added value (especially with the enchanted objects), but the real quality that makes this experience special is the opportunity it allows for the guest. Think about it: The change in locale from Fairytale Garden to a fully constructed environment is what pushes the envelope of the attraction’s appeal. I couldn’t have asked for anything more of my first visit to New Fantasyland, which drove this point home. It was the morning of 2013’s 24-hour day, and New Fantasyland was my party’s first destination after the park opened at 6 a.m. The sun was just beginning to peak over the trees, a slight chill was still in the air, there were barely any guests around, and a Cast Member greeted us at the entryway to Belle’s home with a friendly, “Bonjour!” And that’s when it hit me: I was in the little town… it was waking up… and the people were saying bonjour. I was in the exact moment from the film. That is truly the key behind these land-hogging expansions: They allow that moment of realization to be possible for guests.

And once that realization is made, what happens next is (what I believe to be a justifiable example with which to use the word) magical. When you really stop to remove yourself from the moment and look around at the scene before you, it’s exactly the word to use. A robotic candlestick is singing “Be Our Guest” while lights flash and a procession of grown adults is following a picture-perfect princess in a march around the room. Some other helpers are standing in the corner, being as still as suits of armor just because the princess told them to. She says she needs our help to fall in love with a beast. By all accounts, this is pretty absurd. And yet, as the music plays, you find yourself clapping along with everyone else. Because maybe in that procession is your daughter, who idolizes Belle’s very being, or once did. Perhaps in the corner is your roommate, who usually puts up a macho front but is now gleefully following orders from Belle (from Belle!). In this space, there are no social norms, no preset rules, no judgment. We’re allowed to play in this fantasy. This is a reprieve. This is a safe place. Everything in this moment is ok. Enchanted Tales with Belle provides the rare opportunity to believe, if only for a moment, that fantasy can become, and does become, real.

Blake is a college student focusing on Film and Creative Writing. He enjoys making his family of six watch the parade on Main Street and then sprint to Frontierland in time to see it again. You can follow Blake’s random Disney ramblings on Twitter at @olddirtyblake, or at BlakeOnline.com.

Picture it: Walt Disney World®, October 2012 (for those of you old enough, you’ll recognize my Sophia Petrillo-ism here. Remember how on “The Golden Girls,” she would always say something like “Picture it: Sicily, 1943″? Anyway, I digress…) You’ve just spent the last two weeks on the most amazing Walt Disney World® trip of your life, your honeymoon, and you think, nothing can get better than this. While there, you see construction fencing and hear construction vehicles vehemently working on the New Fantasyland® expansion. Soon, you start to hear rumors of a soft opening. As the days go on, you hear that it’s opening while you’re there. Could it possibly be? Could we really be that lucky?

And soon, we realized, no, we weren’t. Oh, the New Fantasyland® opened… on the day we were LEAVING!! We can’t tell you how many times we said, “If only we had booked an extra day. One day, that’s all we needed.” So, as we’re leaving the hotel, boarding Disney’s Magical Express to take us back to the airport where we were returning to a place that is no where near magical, we kept kicking ourselves. At that very moment we were standing in the TSA security line, taking off our shoes, someone was having a grand old time experiencing this new land. If only we knew. If only it wouldn’t cost us hundreds of dollars to change our flight. If only our room wasn’t being prepared for the next family just starting their trip. Ugh! Talk about frustration.

Well, now, as we are in the final countdown for our next Walt Disney World® vacation, we can proudly say that we will be visiting New Fantasyland®, eating at Be Our Guest Restaurant, riding the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train and making the most out of this land that has tortured us for the last two years. AND, we’re staying an extra day, this time to make sure we sneak in a day at Epcot®’s International Food and Wine Festival Presented by Chase®.

(Photo from the authors’ personal collection.)

Have any of you ever had something like this happen to you at Walt Disney World®? Maybe your favorite ride is shut down during your trip because of a refurbishment? Maybe you, like us, missed the opening of Fantasyland®. Were you there right before the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train opened? If you have experienced the New Fantasyland®, what was the best part and what should we do first?

“New Yorkas” Felicia and Sean are avid Disney fans. Their first vacation as a couple was in Walt Disney World®. They were engaged there, and also honeymooned there. After a combined 30 trips to the World, they are self-professed Disney travel agents and enjoy helping family and friends plan magical Disney vacations.

Hi there, WDW Radio Blog readers! I’m Alyssa Schulman, and this is my first contribution here, as I am new to the WDW Radio community. Before I dive in, I’d like to introduce myself, so you can get to know me a bit better. I am a recent high school graduate and will be attending Rhode Island School of Design this fall with the intent of majoring in illustration. My passion for art goes hand in hand with my lifelong love for all things Disney. I was born in South Florida and have been visiting Walt Disney World® as far back as I can remember, although my adventures there have become less frequent since I moved to Massachusetts at age 10. However, this increase in distance from my home-away-from-home has only made my adoration for it grow stronger. With every new park attraction or Disney film, I become further inspired to stay creative and do what I love.

I was always surrounded by Disney, in more ways than one. In addition to living just a few hours away from the parks, I also spent many a Halloween dressed as a Disney character (I made a pretty awesome brunette Aurora, if I do say so myself.), stuffed my face with Disney princess-adorned birthday cake year after year, had Disney princess themed bedding, and of course I had a repertoire of Disney films at my disposal since birth. I can even remember waking up in the dead of night and creeping into the living room like the little ninja I was, just to pop a Disney movie of my choice into the VCR and watch it while the rest of my family slept peacefully and completely unaware of my cinematic adventures. Oh yes, I was that hardcore. At the time, I was not paying attention to the detail and work behind these magical masterpieces, nor was I captivated by how the animators managed to string together each individually hand-drawn scene and movement. I was just a little kid who enjoyed exciting and enthralling tales about princesses and talking animals, with the occasional pirate or two. But as I grew older, I began to view the films in a different way. I still love them just as much as I did when I was little, but I also possess a deeper appreciation for the stories, animation, and the effort that goes into them.

Now, every time a new Disney film or attraction is introduced, I can’t help but try to find out every last available detail and watch every single behind-the-scenes YouTube video I can find about it. It is an addiction that simply cannot be cured; a craving that cannot be satisfied. But I think I can put it to good use via this blog. Throughout my posts, I plan to explore and discuss artistic aspects of Disney, whether they emerge from a film or something animated in the parks.

One of the many things I love about Disney is that it is constantly changing, growing, and improving. There are always new, exciting things to look forward to. What I find most intriguing is when classic movies and characters are brought to life in completely different ways, such as what has recently been done with The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, and Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Each is a well-known classic that has been around for decades. However, despite the many years that have passed since these films have been released, fans continue to cherish them, even today, and Disney has found new ways to make them live on while utilizing modern technology to revive the old magic. All three movies were created in 2-D animation, although the artistic methods did evolve over time. Today, park guests can feel as if they have been transported into the films as the settings and characters have been made palpable and immersive with the new castles, restaurants, and rides. It’s incredible how a mere drawing from the 1930’s can be transformed into a three-dimensional enveloping adventure with life-size, vibrant, moving characters like in the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, one of the must-see additions to the Magic Kingdom® Park. It legitimately blows my mind. Just look at how far Disney animatronics have come: from the basic, minimal range of motion of the townspeople in the Pirates of the Caribbean® (first established in 1973) to the flexible, life-like movement of the quirky dwarves or even the realistic flowing of Ariel’s hair in the Under the Sea ~ Journey of the Little Mermaid. All of these advancements come from the increasing attention to detail and going back to the original artwork, in combination with brilliant technology. It’s fantastic to see it all come together seamlessly, especially when you consider all of the various steps the artists and Imagineers go through to achieve it.

Have you experienced any of the New Fantasyland® attractions? Have a favorite? If not, what are you most looking forward to seeing when you do make your way over to the Happiest Place on Earth?Leave a comment below!

Alyssa Schulman is currently a student at Rhode Island School of Design. She was born in Florida but moved to Massachusetts at age 10. Alyssa’s heart has belonged to Walt Disney World® for as long as she can remember, but something very high up on her bucket list is to visit all other Disney locations. She intends to pursue illustration in the hopes of being even half as inspirational, or at least entertaining, as Disney Animation continues to be to her.

]]>http://www.wdwradio.com/2014/07/animatedly-disney-childhood-fanatic/feed/237129Finding Disney in the Completion of New Fantasylandhttp://www.wdwradio.com/2014/05/finding-disney-completion-new-fantasyland/
http://www.wdwradio.com/2014/05/finding-disney-completion-new-fantasyland/#commentsWed, 28 May 2014 13:00:13 +0000http://www.wdwradio.com/?p=36141Extraordinary Magic in Everyday Life It’s finished. Today, May 28, 2014, marks the official […]

Today, May 28, 2014, marks the official grand opening of Seven Dwarfs Mine Train at Magic Kingdom® Park, and with it the completion of New Fantasyland. It’s the biggest expansion in the history of the park’s 42 years of operation, which does not come lightly.

New Fantasyland ushers in two primary modern trends seen in the Disney theme parks, the first being a fully sensory experience. It’s that same touch of Disney storytelling but told in a completely new way. We no longer passively watch stories unfold in attractions, we become part of the stories. In New Fantasyland, we visit the very real locales of classic fairytales and have a hand in experiencing the rich world of each destination. Secondly, the expansion plays a hand in the recent initiatives to sweep a park-wide overhaul rather than introduce single new attractions in different parks. First came Disney California Adventure, and currently preparing for its spotlight is Disney’s Animal Kingdom® Theme Park. New Fantasyland inadvertently became part of a park-wide transformation of the Magic Kingdom that also included interactive character experiences, role-playing adventure games, and new entertainment. If a family so wanted to, they could spend park opening through 3:30 p.m. in the Magic Kingdom just experiencing attractions that have debuted after 2011. That’s how much “newness” there is.

With New Fantasyland being such a benchmark that will be looked back upon for decades to come, on this momentous day, let’s take a look back through each step of this exciting journey toward expansion that we’ve been anticipating from home.

July 2009: Blueprints surface. Rumors abound as construction plans leak from unofficial sources claiming Fantasyland will get a major makeover that will double its property size and eliminate Mickey’s Toontown Fair. Every Disney fan has a different opinion, but no one can say for sure how he or she feels given the speculative nature of the news.

September 2009: The blueprints are real. At the inaugural D23 Expo, then-Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Chairman Jay Rasulo shocks everyone by confirming the rumors. He announces, “I need to clarify something that’s kind of been on my mind. There have been a lot of rumors online, and I don’t know where they come from. And I don’t even know where they get started, but it’s about a big expansion of Fantasyland at Walt Disney World®. Well, these rumors are absolutely—true.” [Cue thunderous applause.] As it turns out, the plans revealed here are slightly different than what New Fantasyland will ultimately become. For starters, the expansion is to be called “Fantasyland Forest.” While the plans at this time still call for Enchanted Tales with Belle, Be Our Guest Restaurant, Under the Sea: Journey of the Little Mermaid, and a double version of Dumbo the Flying Elephant®, they also hail attractions that will never come to be, including a dancing experience with Cinderella inside the Tremaines’ chateau, a surprise party for Aurora inside her cottage, and a Pixie Hollow-themed area for Tinker Bell and the fairies.

April 2010: Out with the old. Ariel’s Grotto, the meet & greet for mermaid Ariel since 1996, and Pooh’s Playful Spot, a Hundred Acre Woods playground open since 2005, both close. Bigger and better things await! During the interlude, Ariel moves (this time with Prince Eric) to the porch just outside Aloha Isle in Adventureland.

November 2010: Pooh goes interactive. The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh gets interactive games in its queue line, giving a taste of what is to come in future Fantasyland attractions being built mere feet away.

January 2011: Let’s shake things up a little. With the introduction of Tom Staggs as Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Chairman (Jay Rasulo transitions to CFO of The Walt Disney Company®, a position he still has today) come some significant changes. The father of three boys, Staggs infuses a different direction toward some of the plans that will broaden the appeal of the expansion for the whole family. The name of the land will become New Fantasyland, and in place of some of the abundance of princess experiences will be Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, a family coaster somewhere between the thrill levels of TheBarnstormer and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad®. This news is met with applause and anticipation among the Disney community, who eagerly look forward to the first phase of the project opening in 2012. Meeting sentimental reaction is the news that Snow White’s Scary Adventures will close to make way for Princess Fairytale Hall, a character greeting for all of Disney’s animated royalty.

February 2011: Mickey’s Toontown Fair closes. After twenty-three years of operation for what was initially planned to be a temporary area, Toontown closes for good. A special ceremony exclusively for Cast Members bids farewell to the land with Mickey and the gang hopping aboard the Walt Disney World Railroad as “Mickey Mouse Club Alma Mater” plays them out. At the same Cast Member event, concept art debuts that sheds light on the replacement of what was initially to be Pixie Hollow: an expanded Dumbo area dubbed Storybook Circus, to include character meet & greets, a water play area, and the retention of The Barnstormer.

February-July 2011: The great character swap. With Toontown being the park’s premiere character location, many Disney friends find themselves being switched around to different locations more times than High School Musical had sequels. After the dust settles, eventually Town Square Exposition Hall closes to become Town Square Theater, a new spot to find Mickey Mouse and the Disney Princesses. Meanwhile, what was once the Adventureland Verandah restaurant transforms into Tinker Bell’s Magical Nook, the go-to place to find the Disney Fairies who had formerly been in the Toontown Hall of Fame.

August 2011: The model debuts. The second D23 Expo reveals the full 3D model of New Fantasyland, giving us our first complete look of the entire area. Can you say EXCITED?!? The model will eventually move to be on display at Walt Disney: One Man’s Dream in Disney’s Hollywood Studios®.

February 2012: Storybook Circus opens. Just a year after Toontown closed, its replacement Storybook Circus opens its gates to become the first area of New Fantasyland to welcome guests. While far from complete and still surrounded by construction walls, it gives a tease of what is to come. Opening at this time are the expanded Dumbo the Flying Elephant (with an indoor, interactive queue that turns wait time into play time), the water play area Casey Jr. Splash ‘n Soak Station, a re-themed Barnstormer with Goofy now playing the role of the “Great Goofini” stunt extraordinaire, and a completely remodeled stop for the Walt Disney World Railroad. Details abound every which way, from peanuts ingrained into the ground to the references to Walt’s Carolwood Pacific throughout the railroad station.

May 2012: Snow White’s Scary Adventures closes. Much of the spirit of the attraction will live on in Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, which at the time is deep into construction.

October 2012: Storybook Circus, phase two. The mini-land becomes complete with the opening of Pete’s Silly Sideshow, an indoor themed meet & greet for Mickey’s pals dressed as circus performers, and Big Top Treats, a bakery/gift shop combo taking residence in the former County Bounty tent. With the completion of Storybook Circus comes the notion of a Toontown 2.0, really, a universe in which Dumbo and the classic Mickey Mouse shorts coexist, swapping out loud, temporary structures for a more rustic, vintage, permanent feel.

December 2012: The majority of New Fantasyland opens! With much fanfare, Disney royally declares the Magic Kingdom‘s big expansion open for business. A music-filled opening ceremony in front of Cinderella Castle features singer Jordin Sparks, Once Upon a Time actress Ginnifer Goodwin, and oodles of Disney characters. Attractions opening on this day tell the timeless stories of Beauty and the Beast and The Little Mermaid. Guests help Belle tell how she first met Beast in the delightfully immersive Enchanted Tales with Belle and visit with Ariel in the revamped Ariel’s Grotto. A next-generation Disney dark ride, Under the Sea: Journey of the Little Mermaid debuts driven by twenty-first century special effects. For a bite to eat, there’s the sit-down Be Our Guest Restaurant inside Beast’s newly-erected castle and the quick-service Gaston’s Tavern, where, yes, he does use antlers in all of his decorating. Bonjour Village Gifts serves as the area’s primary gift shop.

March 2013: Rapunzel’s tower appears. Unannounced and suddenly appearing as a pleasant surprise is the most elaborate restroom Walt Disney World®has ever had. Celebrating the 2010 Disney hit Tangled is a full-scale version of Rapunzel’s tower and a highly detailed surrounding area featuring phone-charging stations, floating lanterns, and “hidden Pascals.” All of this is in the former spot of the Fantasyland Skyway.

October 2013: Princess Fairytale Hall opens, Mickey gets chatty. In the former spot of Snow White’s Scary Adventures, guests can have a royal visit with several of Disney’s leading ladies. The option of two different rooms gives families the chance to meet several Disney Princesses. The spot soon becomes one of the park’s most popular destinations with the arrival of Anna and Elsa from Frozen, regularly prompting waits of up to five hours. Without the gals to talk to any longer in Town Square Theater, Mickey decides to try something new and begins talking to guests, eliciting true Disney magic in a way many thought we would never get the chance to experience.

May 2014: Tink flies south. At last finishing the four-year character switcheroo, Tinker Bell’s Magical Nook closes as Tink takes up residence (without her fairy friends) in Town Square Theater in the room formerly occupied by the Disney Princesses. Mickey remains in Town Square Theater.

May 2014: It’s complete, for now. With the opening of Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, New Fantasyland becomes finished. A famous Walt saying goes that the parks “will never be completed, as long as there is imagination left in the world,” so who knows how the landscape may change in the decades to come. But for now, things are wrapping up, and the biggest expansion in the history of the Magic Kingdom is ours to play in, explore, and enjoy.

What’s been your favorite part of New Fantasyland‘s journey? Do you remember your reactions to the many announcements, closings, and premieres?

Blake studies Electronic Media and Film at Appalachian State University. He enjoys making his family of six watch the parade in Frontierland and then sprint to Main Street in time to see it again. You can find him on Twitter @olddirtyblake or at BlakeOnline.com.

Disney in a Minute™ – 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea Hidden Tribute

Walt Disney World is full of hidden treasures and details, each of which tells a story. Throughout the parks, you can also find many tributes to former attractions. One of my personal favorites pays homage to the 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea attraction in Fantasyland in Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom. You can actually find it hidden in The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh.

Want to know where it is and how to find it? What this week’s Disney in a Minute video!

If there is something YOU would like to see covered in a Disney in a Minute™ video, leave your suggestions in the Comments section!

Disclaimer: This blog post, and all past and future Fish Are Friends, Not Food blog posts, are written with my most recent knowledge of the food in WDW parks. Please note that things are constantly changing, so this information might not always be up to date. Also note that I do not take into consideration refined sugar, cross contamination, or impure food items. With that said, always ask a chef before ordering if you are unsure about something, because the recipe may have changed or you may have a different way of defining your vegan lifestyle.

Be Our Guest restaurant has recently opened its doors in the new Fantasyland expansion area of the Magic Kingdom park in WDW. I haven’t personally eaten there quite yet so I can’t comment on how the following items taste (let me note that for my next research trip!), but I’d like to go over a few menu items I’m happy to report appear vegan!

Whole Grain Macaroni – Topped with Marinara sauce and served with Mozzarella (just ask for no cheese when ordering this vegan!) served with Seasonal Vegetables – $5.59

WDW has been on the trend of adding new vegan and veganizable items to established menus (like the new addition to Animal Kingdom’s Tamu Tamu Refreshments menu), introducing vegan options to well known events (like this year’s Flower and Garden Festival and last year’s Food and Wine), and now they are including vegan items to new restaurants’ menu’s like Be Our Guest restuarant! I’ve said before in another post that it’s a big deal to be able to order vegan items right off the menu instead of having to talk with a chef and make a special request! This is a huge step forward for us vegans!

If you want dessert at dinner at Be Our Guest, ask your server for some dairy-free ice cream and they will most likely be able to bring you tofutti, rice dream, or sorbet!

What entree are you looking forward to trying the most at Be Our Guest Restaurant? Please leave your answers in the comments below!

Angie has been a WDW addict since her first visit at age 8, and since then her life has never been the same! She lives in southeastern MA with her boyfriend, Kevin (fellow Disney lover), and their 3 dogs, Flip, Josie, and Hildy, where she is currently training to become a professional dog trainer. Please join Angie every week in “Fish Are Friends, Not Food: Eating Vegan in WDW!” Angie believes that WDW is the most magical place for people with special diets, so, should you have any special diet questions (especially about vegan and gluten-free dining) she’d be happy to help! Angie is also an artist, and you can see her work at www.angiecarreiro.com!

WDW Radio Disney Year in Review Video Recap

A look back at WDW Radio memories at Walt Disney World from 2012. Interviews with Disney Legends and celebrities like Bob Iger, John Ratzenberger and Richard Sherman of the Sherman Brothers, the WDW Radio Cruise on the Disney Dream, CarsLand, Disney California Adventure, 5 Year Anniversary show, New Fantasyland, E-Ticket American Adventurers Club events and more

THANK YOU for making 2012 the most amazing, memorable year ever for me, and for letting me share my passion for Disney with you.

Join Lou Mongello and Erin from Walt Disney World Resort as they explore Big Top Souvenirs and Treats at Storybook Circus, part of the New Fantasyland expansion at Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World!

The centerpiece of Big Top Souvenirs is Big Top Treats, with the largest on-stage show kitchen in Walt Disney World. Here, you can enjoy circus treats like cotton candy, caramel apples, ice cold “Goofy’s Glaciers” beverages and much more. The location also features a wide variety of merchandise including shirts, hats, toys, dolls, plush, Duffy the Disney Bear, pins, Vinylmation, D-Tech, and much more. Of course, Dumbo takes center stage, with plenty of items that can only be found in this location.